Dog Rips Child From Mother Arms (Rottweiller Kills Girl)

KABC TV 7, Los Angeles ^ | August 2, 2004

[Travis McGee]

Dog Rips Child From Mother Arms

GLENDALE — A Rottweiller ripped a toddler out of her mother's arms in Glendale, dragged the child up a driveway and mauled her to death, police said today.

The dog, which belongs to the victim's grandparents, pulled the child from her mother's arms about 7 last night in the 2300 block of Via Saldivar, said Sherri Servillo, a Glendale Police Department spokeswoman.

The infant was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead, Servillo said.

The woman was housesitting for the child's grandparents, Servillo said, adding authorities received a "hysterical 911 call" after the attack.

The dog is being held by Pasadena Animal Control, she said.

The woman holding the child was also holding a hose and watering a lawn when the 150-pound Rottweiler attacked, said Glendale police Sgt. Tom Lorenz, calling it a "horrific and tragic incident" that has shocked crime scene investigators.

He said the dog dragged the infant several feet down the driveway before mauling her. The mother suffered no major injuries.

After being notified of the attack, Glendale police officers went to the place where the victim's father works in Pasadena and drove him to the hospital where his child was pronounced dead, police said.

[RinaseaofDs]

You're a blessed man.

[brwnsuga]

"Another "Oh that Rottweiler was so nice, I don't know what made him snap" story.. "

I feel ya'. Dogs are animals and sometimes there behavior cannot be predicted based on alot of factors. Better to play it safe and stay away from these types of viscious breeds.

[MEGoody]

Well, how come people never make Labs or Goldens mean?

It happens.

[sfimom]

My son's name is Damian. He is named after a priest.

[China Clipper]

Kellynla, please let me know when you find significant episodes where a beagle killed a kid, or a dachsund mauled a woman to death, or a pomeranian "tore the throat" out of a child. It's not the "fight" in the dog, it is the size of the dog. The meanest, baddest 8 pound dog isn't going to do the kind of damage a 50-150 pound animal will do.

[Black Tooth]

My first thought was that the child was left unattended. I can't see it just running up to someone to grab a child out of their hands for no reason.

I tend to agree. First thought was the kid was not in the arms of his mother. Second thought was this dog was, as some point abused, possibly by kids or adults. The story could be true, but I find it suspect.

[kellynla]

Hey, genius, let me know when you have read the Humane Society's position I posted on post #175.

My position and the Humane Society's position as well as CDC's and many other authorities is that it's the irresponsible owners not the dogs who are at fault. duhhhhhhh
gezzzzzz some people are thicker than concrete!

[RavenATB]

"However, almost every gun accident is the result of some kind of neglect or lack of training. Sadly, the same is true with dog bites."

Dog trainers always say that. It's good business...a great way to take financial advantage of tragedy. I'd be interested to see if any one of these "experts" who blame bad training can back up their assertion with empirical evidence.

How do you go in after a mauling like this and assess the training given the dog after the fact? You don't! Nearly everyone you could possibly interview regarding the training of the dog after such a attack would have an agenda.

Unless you have first-hand knowledge of the training that dog's received, you can't make such a statement with any credibility.

To make such a sweeping statement about all such attacks is laughable. The only people who would give that comment a moment's consideration are nitwits and those who own and/or love the breed in question.

[RavenATB]

"Yes, the dog "made the decision" to attack and the dog that attacked needs to be destroyed, the owner held responsible. "

Wow..you show some real concern for the death of that child. I guess that's the best we can hope from some people...allow a proven threat to children to roam our cities and towns, and only deal with the threat after someone dies. And then, deal only with the offending dog.

I've sure hope you're not in charge of protecting this country from terrorism.

[proud_2_B_texasgal]

Wow..you show some real concern for the death of that child.

We weren't discussing the death of the child, but the responsibility of the dog/owner. Of course I'm concerned about the death of the child. It's obvious that when you don't have anything to say, you resort to personal attacks or changing the focus of the conversation.

I've sure hope you're not in charge of protecting this country from terrorism.

Nope, just raising my children, training my dogs (no, they are not rotts or pitts), and trying to educate dog owners and potential dog owners about responsible ownership.

I'm done here. God Bless.

[Kokojmudd]

Surely you are not suggesting that lack of training (of the dog and the owners) and/or neglect has nothing to do with dog bites in general? I have read posts on this thread detailing horrible dog bite stories where dogs actually chased people down the street. Not to mention your own posts which suggest the importance of training and so on.

Ok, I will mention them.

In post 421 you agree that one should have a strong personality to control one of these breeds. In post 469 you say "allow a proven threat to roam our cities and towns." Roam cities and towns? Sounds like neglect to me. Even though you apparently contradict yourself I think you are probably an expert on animal behavior. Therefore I refer to your statements in #469 and #421 as empirical evidence that neglect and lack of training can contribute to dog bites. I was going to post a link about preventing dog bites for your review but it is not necessary now that you have cleared things up. Have a nice safe weekend.

[China Clipper]

To quote another opinion on this subject

When you stop to think about it, a large dog is capable of doing severe damage to a person. Dogs have teeth. Isn't it ironic that society allows dogs to enter human society and trusts them to use their teeth responsibly . . . Yet those same societies often would not trust people to go about with large knives in their belts--let alone handguns. When people aren't trusted with weapons, then why should dogs be trusted with teeth?

Frankly I don't care what the Humane Society thinks. The fact is big dogs cause much more damage when they bite then little dogs. That is painfully obvious to anyone who has been bitten, killed, or had their "throut ripped out" by these dogs. That's all, that's it. It's likes saying a car travelling at 120 miles an hour does more damage when it crashes into my rear end then a car travelling at 45 mile per hour. You don't destroy all cars, but you make laws that have consequences when people drive at 120 miles per hour to protect the public.

Animals are not rational, they don't have the ability to reason, they are instinctual. For whatever the reason, big dogs (50-150+ pounders) do big damage when they bite. That's it! People like me generally do not like to see big dogs (Or ANY animal) do damage to people. Facts are facts.

BTW, if you came upon two "beings" drowning in a lake, and you could only save one;one was a complete stranger, maybe even a homeless person, and the other was your pet, which one would you chose to save?

[kellynla]

man don't you ever give it a rest.

"Frankly I don't care what the Humane Society thinks."
That's it in a nutshell, "you don't care", and you don't even know how to spell the breeds!! LMAO
your ignorance of dogs would be laughable if it weren't so pathetic!


find a hobby, a girlfriend, a pet or something but quit bothering me!!!!

[RavenATB]

"I was going to post a link about preventing dog bites for your review but it is not necessary now that you have cleared things up. "

What I've cleared up...and you've assisted me in doing so...is the fact that there is, in fact, no empirical evidence that concludes that these dog bites are the result of any specific cause.

The fact that a dog happens to be out of the master's control is hardly evidence of "neglect." Anyone and everyone who has ever owned a dog has experienced someone accidentally opening a door to the house and their dog running out. Or, their dog digging himself out from under an fences enclosure.

The truth is that sometimes these dogs get out of the control of their owners by no fault of those owners other than a simple mistake, and the dogs still attack and kill.

Another truth is that you train dogs with conditioned response. You don't have a clue what's going on in the dog's mind, regardless what "expertise" you claim.

[Conservative til I die]

Another one for the Rottweiler lovers on this forum. Rottweiler species should be exterminated off the face of the eart.

You're an absolute f*cking idiot.

[DaiHuy]

"I've done Australian Shepherd rescue and it AMAZES me the people that get rid of them because they "chase my kids around and bite their ankles".." Yeah, they buy a herding dog and then can't figure out why it exhibits herding behavior. I have a GSD and he does the same sort of thing with the kids, won't let one of them stray to far from his view without coming around in front of them and moving them back to the "herd"

[Conservative til I die]

There's a reason why we don't domestic Mountain Lions and Grizzly Bears. Rottweilers are in the same category.

Another stupid statement. Lions and Bears are totally different species from dogs with completely different capabilities.

[Syds Dad]

You really are.... A MORON!!!!!

[Conservative til I die]

As usual.. You have NO IDEA what you are talking about. What's it like to know nothing about everything?

You tell us, oh Fountain of (Publicly Advertised) Ignorance?

[Senator Goldwater]

Rottweilers are one of the most intelligent and lovable breeds. However, they all need obedience training and should never be owned by those unwilling to commit a lot of time to the dog.

Then their keep should be licensed to those who can document such training. Same with pit bulls and any other breeds who have a propensity to unprovoked attacks.